Macroeconomic data, trends, and policy developments.
Coverage of key economic indicators, central bank policy decisions, inflation trends, labor data, and growth signals. This category focuses on the macroeconomic forces that shape markets, interest rates, and long-term capital allocation.
7,192 total articles
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Jeffrey Schmid warned that recent increases in energy prices should not be assumed to be fleeting, given that inflation has remained above target for an extended period. He highlighted consumer strain from higher gasoline costs, described U.S. energy firms as cautious about boosting output despite eleva…
U.S. stocks have pushed higher this year, driven by technology gains tied to artificial intelligence optimism, but upcoming economic data - notably the June jobs report - and quarterly results from Broadcom could challenge the rally. Investors are watching inflation measures, bond yields and signals about Federal Reserve policy closely; a stronger-…
Discussions within the Federal Reserve and among outside analysts center on altering liquidity rules to lower banks' demand for reserves, a change that could shrink the central bank's $6.7 trillion balance sheet. Estimates of potential reserve reductions vary - one bank places the figure near $700 billion, while a senior Fed policymaker doubts even…
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved swiftly since his April appointment, aligning the Justice Department with several Trump-prioritized actions. But a $1.776 billion fund established under a settlement of Trump’s IRS lawsuit has provoked fierce Republican pushback in the Senate and raised new legal concerns after a federal judge dis…
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told a central banking conference in Reykjavik that allowing inflation to run above the 2% target is appropriate given uncertainty over the economic fallout from the Iran war and a weak growth backdrop. He warned that tolerance would be reduced if second-round inflationary effects appear and reiterated that pr…
Australia’s defence minister described China’s decision to send a delegation made up largely of academics to the Shangri-La Dialogue as a lost opportunity for strategic reassurance, noting the region needs clearer signals amid China’s large conventional military buildup. The forum in Singapore drew defence ministers from the United States, Japan, B…
U.S. equity futures were little changed on Friday after major indexes closed at record highs the previous session. Markets awaited confirmation of reports that the U.S. and Iran agreed to extend a ceasefire and lift limits on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a move that had not yet been approved by President Donald Trump. Macroeconomic data a…
Stop-and-start negotiations between Tehran and Washington over a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are the primary geopolitical drivers for markets this week. Key economic data from the United States and the euro zone will be watched for evidence of the conflict's economic fallout, while developments in India, Colombia and the tec…
Preliminary May data show inflation fell in four major German states, a pattern that suggests the country's harmonised inflation rate may decline this month despite elevated energy and raw material costs linked to the Iran war. Economists' forecasts and forthcoming national and euro zone releases will clarify the picture.
Global government bond markets swung sharply in May after the Iran war pushed yields to multi-decade highs amid fears of prolonged inflation and higher borrowing costs. A surge in oil, hot U.S. inflation data and stalled peace-talk signals drove a mid-month selloff. Later in the month, reports of progress in U.S.-Iran talks and weaker economic acti…
Fabio Panetta, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council and governor of the Bank of Italy, said the ECB will act in a "timely and measured manner" to prevent the current energy shock from becoming persistent inflation. Speaking at the Bank of Italy's annual assembly in Rome, Panetta called for a "recalibration" of monetary policy a…
Fabio Panetta, governor of the Bank of Italy and a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, told the Italian central bank's annual assembly in Rome that the ECB will act in a timely and measured way to prevent the current energy shock from translating into persistent inflation. He said the forward-looking inflation outlook points to…
U.S. equity futures traded little changed as reports circulated that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to extend a weeks-long ceasefire pending presidential approval. Brent and WTI futures slipped, putting oil on track for its biggest weekly decline since early April, while attention on the supply-sensitive Strait of Hormuz and April inflation data temp…
A recent poll indicates Indonesia's headline inflation likely rose to 2.97% year-on-year in May, with core inflation projected to tick up to 2.52%. The same survey expects April's trade surplus to narrow to a median $1.50 billion from March's $3.32 billion, as exports and imports both showed year-on-year gains.
Japan’s finance minister said some domestic financial firms have been given access to OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 model to help defend against cyberattacks, following a meeting with OpenAI’s chief strategy officer. Details on which institutions received access were not released, though a local report named the country’s three largest banks as expected recipie…
European Central Bank research indicates that euro area consumers, still affected by the economic fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reacted quickly to the Iran war by increasing attention to prices. Drawing on the ECB's Consumer Expectations Survey, economists found that nearly half of respondents were actively monitoring prices in March 2…
The European Central Bank's Consumer Expectations Survey for March 2026 indicates that the outbreak of conflict in Iran prompted households to lift near-term inflation expectations substantially and to downgrade growth prospects. The survey compares responses to the 2026 Iran conflict with reactions to the 2022 Ukraine invasion and highlights the r…
France's economy recorded a 0.1% contraction in the first quarter of 2026, according to final data from statistics office INSEE. The result undershot the preliminary 0.0% reading and missed the average forecast of 0.0% from a poll of 19 economists. Falling exports - led by a decline in aeronautical shipments - and a drop in household energy consump…
Elevated volatility in Japan’s government bond market and political sensitivity around rising yields are strengthening the case for the Bank of Japan to pause its planned reduction of bond purchases in fiscal 2027. The BOJ will review its existing taper at its June 15-16 meeting and publish minutes from a May meeting with bond market participants n…
Japan's currency has returned to levels that prompted state intervention a month ago, reigniting scrutiny over how much of its foreign-exchange reserves Tokyo is willing and able to deploy. Officials spent roughly $63 billion in suspected yen-buying operations in late April and early May, a fraction of the country's near $1 trillion stockpile of fo…
A recent housing market poll indicates that China's home prices are likely to fall less sharply this year than previously forecast and are projected to post small gains by 2027 and larger gains in 2028. The survey, conducted May 18-28, signals ongoing pressure in the sector but points to a gradual slowing of the downcycle as targeted policy support…
Markets entered the new trading day with subdued moves in Asia as reports indicated the U.S. and Iran have agreed to extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pending approval from U.S. President Donald Trump. The dollar remained steady, bonds retained earlier weekly gains and investors monitored inflation data across Europe as well as re…
The New Zealand Labour Party has voiced significant criticism regarding the government's latest budget, arguing that the current fiscal direction fails to adequately support citizens facing rising living expenses. While acknowledging the importance of returning the national accounts to a surplus, Barbara Edmonds, the shadow finance minister for the…
The U.S. dollar is poised to conclude a weekly losing streak as reports emerge regarding a potential ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The reported deal, which currently awaits approval from President Trump, seeks to extend an existing truce for 60 days and lift restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of …
New economic data released on Friday indicates that annual core inflation in Tokyo slowed to 1.3% for the month of May. This figure represents the fourth consecutive month where the capital's core consumer price index (CPI) has remained below the Bank of Japan's established 2% target. The deceleration follows a 1.5% increase recorded in April and m…
